


Recovery

by HippieGeekGirl



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Recovery, Self-Esteem Issues, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-10
Updated: 2014-09-10
Packaged: 2018-02-16 21:55:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2285802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HippieGeekGirl/pseuds/HippieGeekGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Rocket heals from his surgery, he and Groot have some things to discuss.  A continuation of my previous fic "Breakdown."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recovery

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Breakdown](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2169099) by [HippieGeekGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HippieGeekGirl/pseuds/HippieGeekGirl). 



It had been a week since they left Xandar, and things were slowly returning to normal. Rocket's mobility had still been fairly limited in the first few days after they'd left the hospital, and the rush of relief everyone had felt knowing he'd be okay had given way to the reality of how much time and hard work it would take for him to get there. Gamora had stayed close to him then, helping him with the physical therapy exercises that he hated but the doctors insisted would help him. Somehow their similar backgrounds made it easier to talk about things like his aching joints and how tired he still was. Peter had left a box of spare electronic and mechanical parts out for him to tinker with, though he hadn't actually admitted he was the one who'd done it.  Otherwise they were keeping their distance a bit, though he knew they were only a shout away if he needed them. 

In truth he was glad for the space. Not that he wasn't grateful, but when he was feeling low there was really only one person he wanted to be with.

“I am Groot?” He sounded concerned as Rocket slipped back into their room. It was the middle of what was generally considered night when they weren't planetside, and the ship was silent except for the engine noise and the various sounds of his slumbering teammates. Quill talked in his sleep sometimes. It was kinda hilarious.

“Relax, I was just gettin' a drink.” Groot held out a hand to help him up as he climbed back into the bunk. “You don't hafta worry about me.”

Groot gave him a look that indicated he very much disagreed.

“What? I wasn't gonna wake everyone else up just 'cause I was thirsty.” He allowed himself to be wrapped up in his friend's waiting arms, tucking his blanket around himself to his liking. “Besides, I'm supposed to be trying to do stuff myself. You know what they said.”

“I am Groot.”

“Yeah, well...” He yawned, curling up tighter in his warm blankety cocoon. “Now you know how I felt.”

Groot looked genuinely confused by the statement, and Rocket reached out to poke him in the chest. “When you went and _died_ on me. What else would I be talkin' about?”

He understood then, holding on to him tighter as if to reassure him he was still there, but Rocket was still talking. “No, actually, that was _worse!_ I didn't know if... if you'd come back.”

He trailed off, not bothering to shake off the hand that was lightly petting him on the head. In the hectic days after the battle on Xandar, he'd been desperate to hold on to any scrap of hope he could find. He'd never really expected the little branch he'd planted to actually grow. He wasn't even sure if Groot had known he'd grow back. They'd never talked about it until now.

“You left me alone,” he sniffed. He knew he hadn't, really. He'd known the four of them would take care of each other. But he'd still felt lonelier than he had in a long time, and it wasn't until Groot had finally grown large enough to leave his pot and sit with him like this that he finally let himself believe things would really be okay.

And then he'd had his breakdown, like some old rustbucket of a spaceship that was better off being scrapped for parts...

He could feel Groot sigh, and the tentative head pats became a little more insistent, bringing him back from his darker thoughts. “I am Groot...”

“No... don't apologize.” He tucked his head into the space beneath his partner's chin. “You did what you had to.”

It wasn't like he could ask him not to, really. Groot would always do whatever it took to protect his friends. (His _family_ , he thought with the same sense of wonder and slight disbelief that always accompanied the word.) He was too sweet and selfless not to, and Rocket didn't know what he'd done to deserve him.

But he was doing his best. They all were.

“How 'bout we both try not to scare each other like that again if we can help it?”

The hand on his head stilled, and the arm wrapped around him held him a little closer. His reply was quiet, but Rocket heard him loud and clear.

“Good.” The matter settled, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
